River Monsters - Lake Of The Ozarks

[Feathers and Fins]

oJustin, there are so many places in PSL that sharks are around most the snow birds would move back to NY if they knew. One of my favorite places to go play with little bulls was White City Park nothing monsters 3 to 6 footers but that was going off memory probably 20 miles up river from the saint lucie inlet. And dont get me started on the House of Refuge and the Hammerheads that were around Fort Pierce North Bridge. Man I miss that place but not the Northerns Attitudes

[LarrySTL]

The man-killer catfish must have migrated because when I first heard about them, they were just above, or below Table Rock Dam, or maybe both depending on who you talked to. That was the early 70's though so they have had plenty of time to swim there.

[Quillback]

So F&F are those giant Grouper any good to eat? Not that I would advocate killing one, but that is one big fish Wade caught.

[Feathers and Fins]

Quill, I have never had one as they are protected. The old timers down there said they were the best eating fish they had ever had. I use to fish for them off the Fort Pierce Jetty and around the fenders under the bridges, They dont fight per-say but more like hooking up to a VW Bug, when they get over 100pnds the smaller ones will put up a good fight though.

My best was an estimated 350 to 375 caught at the outlit for the Saint Lucie Power Plant, I was targeting Permit and had a good 15lb permit on and This giant black thing appeared and with one opening of the mouth I watched the permit vanish. 30 minutes later we brought the figh to the boat and measured it and released.

Just about all grouper are great eating and the best meat is their cheaks.Many people do not have a clue how good the snapper and grouper fishing is in the Indian River itself. Some of the largest redfish and sea trout are in it as well as large tarpon and my favorite "spinner sharks". I use to love watching newbies come down and start wading the flats with little 5 and 6 foot fishing stringers and the do their best impersonation of Jesus walking on water when a Nurse shark comes to take the fish on it. Or see a Manatee swim near and they fly out of water.

Ive had many nice trout taken off my stringer from nurse sharks, spinner sharks and Bulls. My fish string was 12ft long and had a quick release clip on it just for sharks. That place is a real treasure of a place to fish.

[Quillback]

Sounds like a great place to fish, I had no idea those giant grouper would come in so close to shore, or up an inlet, I always thought they were a deep water off shore fish. Wade fishing with the sharks around would be a little spooky. When I was a kid we stayed with some friends near Tampa, we fished an outlet to a power plant near there and caught seatrout. Hard fighters on light tackle and great eating!

[Feathers and Fins]

Quill here is a map of the area, I didnt take alot of time marking it but it will give you an idea.

Fort Pierce Inlet ( redfish up to 40lbs,, snook to 50lbs,,, tarpon to 200lbs sharks from little to we need a bigger boat Brody. My PB, Redfish 38 lb, Snook, 42.5, Tarpon 178 shark 900lb ( Tarpon and Shark "tiger" were estimates)

Bear Point ( Home of the world record gator trout ) Best for trout and redfish and snook. My PB Trout 9.5lb, Snook 22.8 Redfish 18lb Tarpon estmated 200lb Shark 150" spinner" Note the area on the barrier islands wet is mosquito impoundments they are overflowing at times with small tarpon year round up to 15lbs

Taylor Creek Snook and Tarpon primarily My PB snook Estimated 50lb Tarpon 95lb

Saint Lucie spillway, Snook Tarpon and Bullsharks. My PB Snook 22lb tarpon 200 estimate Bullshark 500 estimated.

Club Med Snook and Tarpon, My pb Snook 20lb Tarpon 80lb

Roosevelt Bridge ( all species of snook here ) Tarpon, shark and grouper"jewfish" My PB Snook 32 lb tarpon 123 estimated Bull shark 300lb estimated Jew fish 300LB estimated.

10 CENT BRIDGE same as roosevelt bridge

Saint lucei inlet same as fort peirce

Nuclear plant in the river use to be one of the best places for tarpon you could it seemed many days walk accross the water on their backs and never get wet. Now its closed but you can still fish near it and pick off tarpon well into the 200 class.

There are countless places to go in that area and one of the places a guy could go with no guide a bucket of shrimp and catch lord only knows what. Anyone who goes should stop in to THE SNOOK NOOK in Jensen Beach and talk to them they will put you on fish fast.

[riverrat]

Hello Feathers and Fins, I'm going to ask for a little advice. My sister lives on Indian River Dr. between White city and the power plant. My 12 yr. old nephew loves to smallmouth fish with me when they are here, but he has't had much luck fishing from their pier,it goes out about 200ft. into Indian River. Any suggestions on lures. His mom and dad will absolutely not fish. I'd like to get him away from video games.

[Feathers and Fins]

Man that entire area I have waded many times. Get off the dock and start wading the flats, What he needs to do is get about 2 dozen Medium or Jumbo shrimp and put them in a bait bucket with a 15 foot lead to it. Use a 7'6 spinning rod with 12lb test and a #4 circle hook under a popping cork or even funner is a 7'6'' spinner with 6lb on it and the same circle hook minus the popping cork. The second method what he wants to do is wade the flats he will get familar with seeing the grass ( darker ) and then the White ( sand pockets in the grass) Throw the free lined shrimp up current of the sand and let it drift in. He will catch more dang trout then you can imaging.

Poping cork is another way same scenerio but twitch the rod tip so the cork pops.

August and September he will want to add a 30lb leader of florocarbon and go from shrimp to Mullet or Greenies and try for tarpon.

Now also when trouting he might get a redfish or two, NEVER let the bait hit the bottom or the sailcats will be all over it. While walking the flats never pass up tossing to docks especially right in front of them where the channel is for peoples boats to get in Snook love to lay in them.

If the parents will take him to the Old Fort that place is great for both reds and trout.

For bass the Savannahs are loaded but also full of gators so he needs adult supervision in there.

Also if Mom and dad wont fish suggest a day at fort pierce south beach jetty. The area around the "T" spur on it is great for flounder and pompano the snook and tarpon will be out closer to the end.

There really is just so many places to fish in that area it would blow your mind. I use to have a key to the mosquito impoundment access roads and loved hitting the culverts for big gator trout and snook that layed just outside of them waiting for the tide to start to fall as it did it flushed the bait out of the impoundments and the big fish went nuts.

[Feathers and Fins]

Here ya go this gives him a couple spots.

[riverrat]

Thanks